Reviews: Atelier -- Homeschool Christian.com

In 1979 Marcia Osterink saw a need for more visual arts taught by "credentialed art specialists" in Californias public schools. So she developed an award winning program, Arts-in-Action, that eventually evolved into a video program, Arts Attack, for elementary schools. The work that went into the Arts Attack program has been repackaged into Atelier, marketed to homeschoolers.

By "bringing the home schooling child into a virtual art classroom via video," Atelier has the primary goal of teaching "every child how to express himself/herself through art by learning to draw, learning a variety of techniques, working in a variety of media." Other goals include understanding "the art elements and principles," participating in "multi-sensory experiences," studying "art of other artists, cultures, and historical periods," teaching "students to see and understand aesthetic elements which give a work of art lasting beauty and meaning," and developing "mental skills which are not developed by other disciplines."

The Atelier program consists of videos, a parents manual, and an art appreciation program. All components are purchased à la carte, including the three different video modules per level ($50 per module, $150 per level.) The modules designated by a number for the level and the letters A, B, and C each consist of two tapes, bringing the total number of lessons per level to eighteen.

The video tapes, each containing three lessons, begin with a picture of the materials needed in the lesson with Mrs. Osterink saying what each item is. Next, Mrs. Osterink stands before a classroom of children and explains the art project. She demonstrates techniques and assigns tasks. Then, the children are shown working on the project. Mrs. Osterink leafs through the childrens finished projects to conclude the segment. Most of the lessons, including instruction and observation of the students working, last about twenty minutes, with a number of lessons in the ten minute range and a few of the multi-part lessons taking closer to thirty minutes.

Concepts covered in the program include contour drawing, finding shapes and lines in the subject being drawn, use and mixing of colors, and texture through use of natural materials that the children bring to class. Some of the inspirations for projects are pictures of carousel horses (that parents need to find), Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and the childrens favorite toys that they are invited to bring "to school." The lives of three artists, Chagall, Matisse, and Van Gogh, are very briefly overviewed, and projects that have the children paint in their styles are provided. In the case of the Van Gogh, the children actually copy one of the artists paintings. Atelier uses mostly painting, but also has single projects involving clay (a pot), weaving (wall hanging), cloth scraps (picture), and wet chalk (the Van Gogh painting.)

The Parents and Teachers Manual ($20) is a three ring binder with introductory material for the entire program and tabs for each module purchased. To begin, the history of Atelier and its goals are explained. Brief biographies of the artists studied throughout all levels of the program are then given. A discussion of how to get the most out of a group visit to an art museum is followed by scope and sequence of all seven levels of the program. The next section gives steps for preparing the classroom, setting an atmosphere including keeping the volume of music down and not allowing talking, teaching the lesson, and cleaning up. An overview of the optional "Great Art Appreciation" program is next. Mrs. Osterink then discusses the idea of evaluation, rather than grading, of elementary art and offers suggestions for encouraging students. The final part of the introductory section is "How to Give an Art Show."

The section for each module of six lessons begins with a tab on which the table of contents is written. Each lesson then has one or more pages dedicated to it. The proposed concepts to be covered are listed along with materials, and then an almost scripted procedure is provided. While the script corresponds closely to the video in most cases, the historical information presented in the carousel horse lesson is in direct conflict with the book attributing the origin of carousel horses to medieval times and the tape crediting the ancient Greeks. Pen and ink drawing aids are shown with many of the lessons to help the child see some of the items that he could have seen in the art classroom. Every three lessons, an "Assessment, Guidelines for class discussion" page appears in the teachers manual. This section includes vocabulary words from the three lessons and questions to see if the child met the objectives of the lesson in style, form, and self expression. Four famous works of art (not included in the program) are suggested for analysis using the same questions.

The Atelier "Great Art Appreciation Program," available at three levels ($30 each), consists of an extra tab in the notebook and an envelope of 8"x10" color art reproductions. Program goals, involving perceptual skills, judgments, and "first hand encounters" with great art, are listed. Art criticism is described and then a huge list of questions in categories of describing, analyzing, interpreting, judging, and thinking about art history are shown. Each piece of artwork then has a descriptive page on heavy cardstock for the teacher. The work is reproduced in black and white with a brief overview of the artists life and the artwork. On the back of the card is a list of discussion questions with answers shown and several "activities and extensions" such as art, writing, and discussion projects.

Recommendation: If you are like some parents who long to have their children in the public school art program, Atelier could be a good match. The projects are interesting and fun, and the video format certainly makes the parent's job easy. Parents will need to spend time in preparation by watching the lesson and buying the materials needed, going to the library to check out books, or in hunting pictures of carousel horses, for instance. In the case of the clay pot project, the family will need to find a kiln or work out some other way to dry the pot before the project can be completed.

I found the "adaptation" of this program to the homeschooling market to be disappointing. The projects and presentation are clearly classroom oriented. For example, in the project involving Where the Wild Things Are the children are asked to each create animals and then combine them into a giant classroom mural. In the parents manual a number of references are made that show that this is classroom oriented material. For example, in the "Toy Drawing" lesson, the procedure says, "A day before this lesson, ask each student to bring a favorite toy to school. Establish some guidelines. The students should be able to set the toys on their desks or tables." In the section about visiting an art museum, the suggestion is made to "Have students or a parent record the name of the painting and artist." Reviewing the museums rules including reminding students that there is no running in the museum is not something that most homeschooling parents need to have in a curriculum. In the "prepare the classroom" part of the introductory section, the text suggests that the teacher should "Assign two student helpers to help with water -- one to stand at the sink and fill the cans while the other one places the filled cans on the desks or tables." The "clean-up methods" really drive home the classroom orientation of the program. Suggestions include giving a time limit of five minutes to clean up and then "At the end of that time, everyone is back in their seat with hands folded, not talking, and waiting for their next assignment." The art show section is another area that had little to no adaptation to a homeschooling situation with references to having the children get picked up by their parents rather than riding their bikes home.

The price of Atelier may be a stretch for many homeschooling families. Materials will still need to be purchased in addition to the lessons, and by the time that expense is added, it may be possible to afford individual or small group lessons in your community. The art appreciation aspect could certainly be achieved in greater depth and with a higher level of interest using books from the library. Still, in a cooperative situation homeschooling families could find Atelier to be a positive way to study basic art for their elementary aged students.

The above reviews are the opinions of the reviewers. Products, rather than companies or authors, have been reviewed. You may want to research companies further before choosing to buy any of the products reviewed. The reviews may or may not reflect the opinions of the management of HomeschoolChristian.com.

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